How To prosper at the Highest Difficulty Level?

How To prosper at the Highest Difficulty Level?

I’m having trouble beating this game at the highest difficulty level. The combat engine assigns surprisingly high attrition losses to the combat victor, even when my fleet is overwhelmingly superior. The 2.71 version AI is smart enough to just keep coming w/ attacks on infrastructure and ships in transit and, although my super-fleets knock out a dozen or so big enemy fleets, eventually my fleets attrit to nothing, and the AI’s humongous bonus advantage makes it unassailable; I just can’t dispose of its blizzard of ships.

This game has virtually no documentation for high level play. But the strategy is obviously very deep (a very good thing!), and sometimes I feel like I’m missing something.

Any suggestions basis experience? For instance, are there AI factions that are more vulnerable? I’m playing Crusade w/o any DLC.

Deploying a belt of picket ships with vast sensor power around your periphery tremendously benefits. Always get systems of 2 or more planets fully crunk with 4 economy star bases (ensure to upgrade as new research, manufacturing and economic modules come online).

Also, are you deploying military star bases near the enemy's lane of advance? That and adding additional commanders (usually I have 2 commanders and 1 admiral for a hard pressed task force). There are mercenaries available that diminish an enemy's attack/defense values and boost your attack/defense values.

Use frontline shipyards sponsored by core worlds for faster replacement/reinforcements and chase down logistics to create larger fleets

Get as many leaders as it takes and max out fleet hit points and star ship construction in the Govern field.

Set the auto save to two turns. When you suffer a disastrous battle like Lepanto, Midway, Wolf 359 etc, "jump" back in time to better prepare for the oncoming battle.